Anzac Day 2026: Reflecting on 125 years of service

Anzac Day isn’t just about remembering our history. It’s an opportunity to pause and reflect on who we are and who we aspire to be.

Over the years, I’ve reflected on Gallipoli, Villers‑Bretonneux, Kokoda and Tobruk. I’ve written about the courage of those who served, the sacrifices of families left behind, the compassion of frontline nurses and the endurance of prisoners of war. There’s a common thread that links all of these stories. And it’s this: Anzac Day isn’t about war. It’s about values.

Service before the story

In 2026, we mark 125 years of Federation. This is also a milestone for the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Navy, both born alongside modern Australia itself. Service was woven into the fabric of our emerging national identity, long before the Anzac legend.

It’s those first Australian soldiers and sailors who laid the foundations of the Anzac tradition and reputation.

When Australians landed at Gallipoli in 1915, they carried the spirit of a young nation. They were willing to shoulder responsibility far from home, often without certainty, and at enormous personal cost.

The legacy of Gallipoli is not a military outcome. It’s in the values that emerged under pressure: courage, initiative, humour, mateship and unity.

The same can be said of the 125 years that have followed across two world wars, Korea, Vietnam and more recent deployments in the Middle East and the Pacific.

What service really means

Over 125 years of Army and Navy service, we know that certainty is not guaranteed.

The men and women who have served our country have done so without knowing when or how conflicts would end, how they would be remembered or how long the consequences would last. And yet, they still served.

That idea resonates well beyond the military.

In leadership, business and community life, we are often asked to make decisions without perfect information. To accept responsibility knowing the outcomes may be unclear. The legacy of Australian service is a reminder that integrity and commitment matter most in the absence of certainty.

Service is not about knowing the outcome. It is about standing by your values.

For every battle or famous name that appears in a history book, there are countless other stories of service. Of those who did their job, protected the person beside them and returned home carrying experiences that permanently shaped their lives.

The unseen burden carried by families and the lasting impact on those who returned has become part of the fabric of everyday Australian life.

Service does not end when the uniform comes off. Its influence continues through families, communities and the values passed to future generations.

A broader definition of duty

Over time, the role of the Australian Army and Navy has evolved. Today’s service men and women are as likely to be involved in humanitarian assistance, disaster response and peacekeeping as they are in combat operations.

This reflects a deeper understanding that service to one’s country is not defined only by war, but by readiness to protect life, support stability and help those in need. It mirrors the themes I’ve written about before: solidarity, responsibility and service beyond self.

It also reinforces something we should never forget. The most meaningful legacy of 125 years of service is restraint, professionalism and humanity.

What Anzac Day asks of us now

Anzac Day does not ask us to glorify war or ignore its cost. It asks us to:

• remember honestly
• honour sacrifice without romanticising conflict
• live in a way that respects the legacy we’ve inherited.

The men and women who built 125 years of Army and Navy service did not serve for ceremony or symbolism. They served so that others might live in peace and security.

Our responsibility is to ensure that remembrance remains active, relevant and lived, not just observed once a year.

Carrying the legacy forward

This year, we mark Anzac Day and 125 years of Australian Army and Navy service with gratitude and humility.

We remember the Australians who have stepped forward to serve, often at great personal cost, in circumstances that demanded more than they reasonably should have been asked to give.

The greatest tribute we can offer is not just our attendance at dawn services or our words on one day each year. It is the way we live, lead and look after one another, every day.

Lest we forget.

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